Ian Cheetham contacted children through social media channels and engaged in explicit sexual messages and activities with them until he was stopped by West Midlands Police.

Detectives described his behavior as “deplorable” and said they found evidence that he was sharing photos and videos with boys under 15. He told them that he was young too and that he was taking advantage of their weaknesses.

After the police seized many devices, it was revealed that the person had more than 70 obscene photographs.

Cheetham, 39, was convicted of having sexual intercourse with a child, encouraging sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act and creating indecent images between December 2021 and April 2023.

He was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison at a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on 4 November. He will then have an extended license for more than four years.

Cheetham, of no fixed abode, was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Dc Louisa Scarlin, of the force’s public protection unit, said: “Cheetham took advantage of young boys for his own sickening satisfaction, preying on their age and innocence.

“He lied about being a teenager himself to help establish a dialogue with them. There is no justification for such deplorable behavior.”

Young people can become victims of various types of abuse on the internet through online games, social networking sites and applications that they can access through devices such as tablets, mobile phones and game consoles.

Advice on how to protect children online can be found at: westmidlands.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/online-child-abuse.